Broken Lives Matter

I love every inch of Montana. Having visited and spent time there only sporadically, it has nevertheless touched my soul. The amazing mountains covered with a light dusting of snow the first time I'd come there were green and lush with Autumn the second time. I've gotten to know some of the amazing people who live there, although the second time I couldn't (as I had) ride into the same town I'd been to first. Train routes only go so far during the colder months, which is something I, as a city mouse from the urban Midwest, would never have thought of:) Sadly, I learned last week that Montanans are suffering through a spike in Covid cases, though their growth is mainly under control. Here's the link to my source: https://covidactnow.org/us/mt?s=54069 Given the dire prediction that they might be dealing with this virus' effects for YEARS to come, some of my intrepid Western-state's ingenuity has come to the fore in Missoula. I've never been to that city ...

Hello Lovelies! Included in today's entry is a very interesting article I found regarding the difference in opening the economy back up for the Disabled--their motivations and misgivings as far as the risks or rewards--versus how the Abled community feels about it--THEIR reasons for wanting to continue life the way it was as soon as possible, and not wait until the most immediate danger of Covid infection and spread has passed. Some of what is mentioned I have touched on before--the pitfalls of daily life for someone with any kind of physical disability, the inherent inconveniences and disadvantages therein. Personally, I enjoyed the article's frankness, and its attempt to bring the concerns of an increasingly unseen and unheard community to the fore. Before Covid-19, it was certainly ALREADY true that the Disabled community had to fight for a voice in an able world that did not what to see them--let alone hear their plight. This article brings readers' attention to the...

This is nice to see. Another grown woman born with Cerebral Palsy, making the most of her life, making "it look easy." But I promise you it's not easy. There's as much stigma following those of us with less-obvious physical disabilities as there is surrounding those whose physical disabilities shadow their every move. And we have the added difficulty of dealing with the ignorant people who refuse to accept that life, for us, is challenging too. "Miss You Can Do It" is a brilliant moniker, but being graced with it doesn't mean smooth sailing. You have to deal with people who say "I don't know if you're disabled or not"-- or who use the "big stall" in public restrooms while you sit on your walker seat with crossed legs and wait. You have to deal with people calling you "cross-eyed" because they don't have a ready label for your disability--and neither do you. There's no short answer to the challenges we face. ...

I missed yesterday's blogging day. My city (and my mind, my conscience, my soul) have been in utter tumult the last several days. I wouldn't have known what to say, how to formulate the words or articulate an opinion--on all that's been going on in this country, just yesterday. Given an extra 24 hours, I've come up with only the following image. It's a viral image that several of us (including myself) have chosen to update our profile pictures with, to draw attention to the crisis surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. Honestly I'm almost nervous to post this entry; so much of what I've said lately has been brutally taken out of context and/or deliberately misinterpreted for personal gain. All I can say is that it makes my heart gladder when a larger company joins the fight, and not just all of my individual friends. If a respectable company makes "noise" like this, that makes both BLM and the company's focus of inclusion all that much ...